


I Didn't Sign Up For This

by carnivaldreams



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-24
Updated: 2012-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-19 09:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivaldreams/pseuds/carnivaldreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She dropped her head to Ric’s shoulder, closing her eyes again before more tears could escape. “I didn’t sign up for this.” She repeated for a third time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Didn't Sign Up For This

Elena’s lips are moving, and words are coming out of it, but ever since the word vampire was uttered from the lips of her seventeen year old niece, Jenna hasn’t been able to comprehend anything her. Elena’s sitting there next to her, explaining to her that there’s something hiding in the shadows and causing the bumps in the night.

She bolts. Just stands up in the middle of Elena’s speech and bolts for the bathroom, locking the door behind her and sliding down to the floor as tears roll down her cheeks. _Isobel is alive._ Elena’s birth mother, Alaric’s ex-wife; the woman he had spent so much time insisting to her was _dead_. In the normal world, dead doesn’t mean showing up at your front door asking to be let in. 

She kneels up and reaches the toilet bowl just in time for lunch, and dinner and possible breakfast as well, to all come up. 

_“Jenna?”_ Alaric’s voice drifted through from the other side of the door. _“Jen, let me in. We need to talk.”_

Jenna reached up and flipped the switch before settling back down, leaning up against the bath tub. Through teary eyes, she watched Alaric slip into the room and smile down at her. 

He slid down onto the floor next to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders. “You know,” he observed, using his free hand to brush away the tears still on her cheeks. 

“How can you be okay with this?” Jenna asked, “Knowing that _she’s_ out there. That these _things_ are out there.” 

“It’s difficult,” Alaric conceded. “But they’re not all bad.” He opened his mouth again, but couldn’t find the words to explain everything to her so she wouldn’t go running from Mystic Falls as fast as she could. 

“I’m…I’m a grad student,” Jenna finally managed to speak again. “This time last year I wasn’t concerned about anything except what party I was going to go to that weekend and studying for the latest exams. I didn’t sign up for this. I didn’t sign up for ex-wives that are meant to be dead, for these monsters wanting everyone dead. I didn’t sign up for this.” 

She dropped her head to Ric’s shoulder, closing her eyes again before more tears could escape. “I didn’t sign up for this.” She repeated for a third time. 

“I know.” He skated his fingers up and down her arm. “I know.” 

They sat like that for longer than either of them could keep count. 

“So where do we go from here?” Jenna eventually whispered. 

Alaric swallowed before answering, “I really don’t know.”


End file.
